Fibrillated fibers have been used in the production of paper. Fibrillation of aramid floc is typically performed in a disk refiner. However, in the standard process, a refiner not only fibrillates the floc but also cuts the floc, reducing the length of the floc and forming what has been call pulp.
A significant amount of energy is used in producing para-aramid pulp and other pulps from high performance fibers (up to about 8000 kJ/kg).
There is a need for a process for producing floc suitable for use in papers that can be formed without reducing the average length of the fiber and can be performed at a lower energy usage.